Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not
by sanasings
Summary: When Marinette decides to give up on Adrien after years of pining, she finds that her precious kitty may just be able to fill the void left behind.


**This story was inspired by "Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not" by Thompson Square. It was also my first submission for the CartoonWinterOlympics on Amino. Go Team Miraculous!**

 **Disclaimer: I own none of the ML universe**

"Are you sure about this girl?" Alya asked skeptically from where she sat on Marinette's chaisse.

Marinette paused for a minute, her fingers on the edge of one of her posters of Adrien and thought over her decision one more time. She had been chasing after the model for four years, all for nothing. At least she had gotten better at talking with him during that time. She could even be considered one of his closest friends, not as close as Nino, but she was pretty high up the list. Her expression hardened with determination as she remembered what exactly had brought her to where she was now.

The four of them were all hanging out after school on Friday and on their way to the park she heard him talking to Nino about this girl he liked. She was sad, but she couldn't really say she was surprised. Alya turned to her expecting her to be devastated, but she'd taken the news in stride, even teasing him about it. She was happy being by his side, and if that meant keeping her feelings to herself and continuing to just be a friend, then so be it.

She stared at the picture in her hand. "I'm sure Alya." She took it down and headed over to his schedule. "He likes someone else, and I want to be able to support him just as much as you and Nino."

She was interrupted from taking down the next item by Alya's arms wrapping around her. "You are the strongest and most selfless girl I've ever met Mari. One day, some guy is going to see that and do everything he can to sweep you off your feet."

So many emotions rolled through Marinette at her best friend's words that she couldn't hold in a few tears. Alya sent her a knowing smile before wiping them away. "And when that happens, you bet your butt I'll be investigating the living daylights out of him to ensure he is just as perfect as you. You deserve nothing but the absolute best."

Alya kissed her forehead before pulling Marinette into a tight hug as more tears streamed down her face. "Thanks Alya."

After her tears died down the two girls finished removing all of the posters and signs. Anything that would suggest more than a platonic relationship was tossed. The act left Merinette feeling a lot lighter, now that the burden of an unrequited loved was off her shoulders. It wasn't long before Alya got a message from her mother reminding her to be home before dark, and she said good-bye to her friend as she left.

Looking in a mirror, Marinette saw how her eyes looked slightly puffy and red from all of the crying. It would go away soon, but until then it was constant reminder that the love of her life didn't love her back. She shook the thoughts out of her head and put a smile on her face.

"Alya was right Marinette," Tikki said on her shoulder.

"Thanks Tikki." Marinette affectionately rubbed a finger on her Kwami's head before giving her a cookie. "What do you say we take this stuff out to the dumpster to be picked up in the morning?" she asked before picking up the box and heading downstairs.

When she got back up to her room she saw just how much different it looked without pictures of Adrien splattered along every wall. Her desktop wallpaper was now a picture her and Alya had taken together at the Louvre during a class trip, and the pull down schedule was now a pull down map of the city. The map was Alya's idea for helping her track Akuma attacks for the Layblogg, and they had spent a good portion of time reviewing all the attacks and where they occurred. It was a really good idea from a Ladybug perspective, although she hadn't admitted that to Alya. Her friend was still on the hunt for Ladybug' s identity. She didn't seem to want to post it to her blog anymore, she was just a very curious person by nature; it must have been the journalist in her.

The sound of knocking drew Marinette's gaze to the trapdoor above her and she smiled knowingly. After the Evillustrator incident, Chat Noir had taken to visiting her civilian self nearly every night. They usually stayed up on the balcony and talked about whatever they wanted to really. She didn't ask about his identity. He didn't spill all the specific details of his life. They talked about everything and nothing. He was probably her best friend, after Alya of course. If she was being honest with herself, he was probably part of the reason giving up on Adrien wasn't as bad as it could have been. She had a soft spot for the stray cat, and it only continued to grow the more time they spent together. With a smile, she put on a jacket, quickly grabbed a plate of croissants, and made her way to where he was waiting.

Chat landed on the balcony silently. The time he spent with Marinette was quickly rising to one of his favorites. It was even on par with patrols with Ladybug. That thought scared him sometimes, so he chose not to dwell on it too much. He loved his lady, despite how much he enjoyed Marinette's company. He found himself having to push the thought of them as anything more than friends out of his head more and more often though.

He signaled his arrival with a knock before taking a seat on the small table and twirling his baton. A few seconds later he heard the trapdoor opening. "Good evening Princess!" he said with a smile that only got bigger when he saw the croissants in her hand.

"Hello Chat."

He offered a hand to help her onto the balcony like the gentleman he was. "How are you feline on this beautiful night? Staying warm I hope. It's been getting cold out lately; I wouldn't be surprised if we saw snow soon." It was then that he noticed how her eyes were rimmed slightly in red and his heart sank. She'd been crying.

"Princess, is everything alright?"

She smiled sadly and set the croissants down before looking out over the railing. "I'm alright Chat. I just had to make a tough decision that's all."

"A tough decision?" He stood next to her and set his hand between her shoulder blades.

"Ya. There's this guy I've liked for years and today I decided to give up on him."

She looked close to tears again and Chat silently pulled her in for a hug. He wasn't sure who the idiot was that hadn't noticed his Princess' feelings, but at that moment he felt like using him as a scratching post. "I'm sorry Princess. He is truly stupid if he didn't notice someone as amazing as you liking him."

She sighed and nuzzled into his chest, grateful for the warm embrace.

They spent the rest of the night talking and Chat frequently had to scold himself for getting distracted. Every little movement she made caught his eye. When some of her hair was blown into her eyes from the chilly night breeze he fought the urge to brush it behind her ear. When she laughed he was mesmerized by her eyes. When she shivered slightly he wanted to wrap his arms around her. Instead, he suggested they call it a night and watched her walk back to the trapdoor.

"Goodnight Chat." She smiled up at him. "You made my night a lot better than it was before. Thank you."

"Have a Meow-velous night." He gave a salute before vaulting to the next rooftop, her parting giggle running through his mind.

Once back in his room, he dropped the transformation and watched Plagg fly for his stash of cheese. Rolling his eyes at the Kwami, he changed into some sleepwear.

"So?" Plagg asked through a mouthful of Camembert.

"So what?" Adrien went to the bathroom to brush his teeth and saw his friend follow behind.

"Are you gonna ask her out?"

Adrien over-squeezed the tube of toothpaste and sent the contents all over the sink. "What are you talking about?" he asked as a dark blush covered his cheeks.

"Don't give me that kid. When you're Chat Noir I know what your feeling, seeing, and doing. You can't hide it from me." Plagg smirked.

"I do not! I like Ladybug!" the way he said it made it sound like he was trying to convince himself more than Plagg, which only caused the cat's smirk to grow.

"Seriously kid, just admit it already. You aren't fooling me, and you're barely fooling yourself. You gave her a pet name the first time you met her as Chat Noir! How much more obvious can you be?"

Adrien thought over his words while his face continued to darken in color. A sigh escaped his lips as he sat on the toilet lid and placed his head in his hands. Plagg was right, he couldn't lie to himself. He liked her as much as, if not more than, he liked Ladybug. Not only that, but he might actually have a chance with her.

Noticing his expression, Plagg turned to leave. "Took you long enough," he said before going to grab more cheese.

"Marinette, you need to get up! You're going to be late!"

Tikki's voice pulled Marinette from the darkness of sleep. Rolling over, she caught sight of the clock and quickly jumped out of bed. The great thing about constantly being late was the fact that she was accustomed to getting ready fast. Seven minutes later, she was racing out the door and across the street to school.

She slid into her seat seconds before the warning bell and let out a sigh of relief.

"Great job girl! I think you just set a new record." Alya said while laughing her head off beside her.

"Thanks Alya." Her voice was breathy from running, her cheeks red, and her hair a mess. She was sure she looked like a disaster when she raised her head.

The sound of an intake of breath drew the girls' attention to the door of the classroom where Nino and Adrien were standing, the latter's gaze trained on her.

Alya sent her friend a worried side-glance before turning back to them. "Mornin' boys! I can't believe you just missed Mari's mad dash to school. It was definitely a sight."

"Don't worry Alya, I caught a bit of it when she ran past me in the hallway." Nino laughed whole heartedly, oblivious to his friend's reaction. "Those are some mad skills Marinette. You should consider joining the track team."

Marinette forced herself to keep her attention away from the other boy and turned to Nino. "Thanks Nino, but I doubt I'd be able to handle that on top of everything else. With my luck I'd probably trip over nothing at the starting line anyways." They shared a knowing laugh. "Is everything alright Adrien?" she asked, seeing he had yet to move.

"Huh?" He mentally shook himself. "Ya, just thinking about some... stuff. Guess I got distracted. Sorry about that."

The two boys took their seats and promptly turned around to start talking until the final bell. School went by fast enough, although Marinette swore Adrien was paying more attention to her than usual. She sighed and lightly slapped her cheeks, positive her mind was trying to convince her not to give up on him. After the last class, she made her way down the stairs with her three friends.

"It's only Monday, and I already want it to be Saturday." Nino groaned.

"Don't be such a big baby Nino!" Alya teased. "It's not like you have some big date you can't wait for."

"Actually, I do." Seeing the pointed look Alya was giving him, he continued. "Chill Alya. I have a date with my bed and relaxation. I'd never cheat on you." he pulled his girlfriend closer and gave her a peck on the cheek. "Speaking of dates," he started and looked over at Adrien, "have you asked that crush of yours out ye-et." He stumbled over the last word when Alya pinched his hand, and gave her a questioning look.

Taking a deep breath, Marinette readied herself for his answer.

"Oh, well uhm. It's kind of. . . complicated right now." Adrien scratched the back of his neck and glanced in Marinette's direction.

"Don't worry yourself so much dude. It's not like anyone would actually turn you down." Nino looked like he was about to say more, but Alya chose that moment to interrupt.

"Sorry guys, but Nino and I have some plans today, so we'll be leaving now. See you both tomorrow!"

"We do? Wait, what? Alya?" Nino asked as he was dragged away.

Marinette couldn't stop herself from giggling at her friend's antics. She knew Alya was trying to stop them from having a conversation that might cause Marinette pain, and the thought alone left her with a warm feeling inside. She looked back at Adrien and smiled affectionately at his worried expression.

"Nino's right you know." His attention snapped back to Marinatte at her words. "I'm sure whoever it is will return your feelings."

"Uh, thanks. Marinette."

"And if for whatever reason they don't I do happen to live above a bakery, and you're welcome to come eat your cares away any time you'd like."

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Of course I am, what are friends for?" She looked at her watch and frowned when she saw the time. "Speaking of living in a bakery, I need to go help my parents with some orders. See you later Adrien. Good luck!"

Chat leapt across the rooftops towards the bakery as soon as the sun set. When he saw Marinette that morning with her rosy cheeks, wind-blown hair, and shortness of breath he was taken back by just how beautiful she was. It took everything he had not to announce his undying love to her right then. She was amazing on both the inside and outside. He had no clue how he was able to convince himself she wasn't perfect for so long. When Nino brought up his "crush" later that day he was at a loss for words. How was he supposed to tell his friend the biggest reason he hadn't confessed was because he was too busy falling for someone else. Someone who happened to know he liked someone, and even encouraged him to go for it. He couldn't believe how painful it was when she called them "friends". Adrien didn't want to be her friend, in fact he couldn't, not when he wanted to be so much more.

Seeing the familiar balcony across the way, he smiled. In just a few moments, he'd get to see her again. The thought filled him with such a comforting warmth that it kept out the wintery night air in a way his supersuit never could.

When he landed on the railing, he saw she was curled up under a fluffy black blanket with green pawprints, and a mug of hot chocolate cradled in her hands. The sight caused him to smile. He carefully grabbed one of her hands and bowed while kissing the back of it.

"Greetings Princess. I hope you haven't been waiting fur long."

"Not at all Chat." She rolled her eyes at the pun, but her smile assured him that she wasn't truly annoyed by it. Her smile was causing the hero's stomach to do flips, but he found himself not wanting it to stop.

She scooted over to make room for Chat to sit beside her, and as he did she passed him a mug of hot chocolate for himself.

"You look paws-itively stunning tonight, if I do say so myself," he said, and was rewarded with her blushing face.

"Down tomcat. If you don't behave yourself, I may have to leave you out in the cold."

"Meow-ch. Such vicious claws. Don't worry, a knight is nothing if not a gentleman."

"Knight?" Marinette asked. "More like knight-mare."

"Was that a pun?" Chat asked incredulously. "We truly are purr-fect together! It must be written in the stars!"

They both laughed as they fell into their usual banter while sipping hot cocoa and staring up at the sky.

"Is that what I think it is?" Marinette asked as she jumped out of her seat and ran to the railing. Chat followed after, and stood beside her as he tried to see what had caught her attention.

He watched as she held out her hand a caught a snowflake in her palm. The smile that spread across her face was far more beautiful than anything Chat had ever seen before. The moon illuminated her face, and the snowflakes landing in her hair made it glisten like diamonds.

"Beautiful."

"It is," Marinette said in awe. "I just love how Paris looks when covered in freshly fallen snow."

A shiver carried through Marinette as she realized she'd forgotten her blanket on the chair in her haste. She was contemplating going to get it when Chat wrapped his arms around her, effectively sharing his body heat.

"I meant you," he clarified, receiving her full attention.

Her wide eyes and slightly parted lips cause his breath to catch in his throat and he found himself drawn forward slightly. All at once, every one of his senses was trained on her. Her breathing was all he could hear, despite the Parisian night life below them. All he smelled was the mixture of honeysuckle and vanilla that emanated from her skin. Keeping one hand on the small of her back, he moved the other to cup her cheek, suddenly wishing his transformation didn't include gloves so he could feel her skin. His vision was currently in the process of memorizing every aspect of her face, from her bluebell eyes to her button nose, to her soft-pink lips. He had to fight the urge to lean down and find out how those lips tasted.

Her expression changed from one of surprise to serenity as she looked up at him. He found himself trying to figure out what to do next as he stared down at her, his eyes half lidded. He knew what he wanted to do, but found himself too shy to close the small distance left between them. He watched as Marinette leaned forward, lessening the amount of space between them even more.

"Are you gonna kiss me or not?"

The words barely left her lips before he connected them with his.

 **There it is! I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I did writing it. I currently have this story marked as "Complete", but if enough people are interested, I'm open to adding more to it. Just let me know!**

 **Remember to R &R/Follow&Favorite**

 **~Sanasings**


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